The first 60 Days

[JennsPeeps]

I've got adults who went outside last July at about 5-6 weeks old. Overnight temps in July are in the 50s+ here in WA. No heat lamp.

My 2 "tweens" went outside last weekend. They're fully feathered & 7 weeks old. Overnight temps are in the 40s now. No heat lamp. I did notice that they seemed cold when it rained the other day, so I brought them onto our utility porch to warm up for an hour or so. Then, back outside. They huddle and stay warm enough overnight.

My newest batch of chicks is 4 days old. They will go outside permanently in a few weeks. If the weather is nice this weekend ("nice" = 60+) I'll take them outside for their first outing for maybe 20-30 minutes, or until they let me know they're ready to go inside.

 

[joedie]

I just got another batch this morning and they are again in the brooder in the basement BUT, this time they are going into the coop in 2 weeks (in their own separate enclosure to keep the "big girls" away from them for awhile.
I'll never do the 8 weeks in the house again.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I have read they feather out more quickly if raised in a little cooler temps. Last year my broody raised a chick in the coop in Oct and Nov. Our average first frost is Oct. 15. The chick was taken in the yard by Momma on day 3. Not for long, and would run under her wing after a few minutes, get warm, then forage again. That chick feathered out REAL fast and did fine.

 

[mediazeal]

I thought they could go out at 6 weeks? assuming they had their feathers and it was not freezing outside...
60 days is like 8 weeks
I'm in California, so it will be warm nights by end of May when they are 6 weeks. No power in the coop for a heat lamp plus I'd worry about a fire way out back all night.
So is there a reason to wait til 8 weeks? I'm confused now........

thanks

 

[aidenbaby]

60 days is probably more for those of us in colder climates. California is the exception to most rules.

I'm just teasing.

8 weeks is probably when most chicken breeds are completely feathered out.

 

[firedove]

The "rule" for keeping them in the house is different for every batch of birds since your outside temps will vary and feathering rates will vary. If you have the ability to keep them with heat lamps outside they can go out a lot sooner, especially if it is warm out. My last batch went out at 6 weeks old with a lamp into my very cold garage. They were fully feathered and did fine. Now that it is warming up more I will probably move my latest chicks out to the garage with a lamp when they reach 3 and 4 weeks old (8 chicks, 2 different ages). Part of that will be because it is warmer out and part because I will have new babies hatching that need to go into the house brooder. If I decide it is too cool for the older babies to go out when hatch time comes I will just build another house brooder.

I do know that the dust from keeping 30 6-week-olds in the house was way too much! It was way too cold to move them out sooner though with the conditions I could offer. If I had a warm dry shed they would have been out by 3 weeks old with some lamps. My garage however is uninsulated and damp (although draft free) so I waited until 6 weeks old to put them out there.

So in conclusion. As long as you can keep your chicks at the recommended temps and draft free send them out! Also it is perfectly fine to let chicks play outside as long as temps are warm and you bring them in at the first sign of chill.

 

[firedove]

countrygirlatheart, I don't recommend introducing your chicks to the big girls coop until 12 weeks at the very least. They can visit each other sooner as long as you stand nearby and intervene if the pecking gets bad.

 

[damselfish]

Substandardtim, I love your screen name, that's a hoot!

We put our chicks out to the coop with a heat lamp at four-five weeks (this was in late March-early April).

Next year, I'm tempted to buy the chicks later when it's warmer, and move them earlier, at 2-3 weeks. Heavens, what am I saying, I don't need any more chickens.

Anyway...for countrygirl about the integration...

They had their own room then, but are fully integrated with the big girls now at nine weeks. Two things though: 1) we have far more chicks than adults (15 versus 2), and 2) they free-range all day, so the chicks can get away from the big girls if they need to. YMMV depending on your setup.

Good luck!

 

[CurlyLindsay]

I had my feed store pullets (unknown breed) out under my carport starting the day I brought them home (they were about 2-3 weeks) and they were fine, under a heat lamp, with temps in the low 40's.

They are about 5 weeks now and I moved them out to the barn, with a heatlamp, yesterday. They seem VERY happy in the bigger - but colder - pen!

 

[NJbirdlover]

Quote:
60 days, IMHO. Draft free coop, 2 heat lamps in case one burns out, maybe the brooder partly covered at night, maybe some bales of hay against its sides.... Set it up and play with it, and see what temps you get. Of course, even little chicks will add to the warmth in there to some extent. At least you can get them out a lot sooner if you know ahead of time what you have.

It's not hard to find publications that recommend against brooding in the house; I think even some of the hatcheries say this. I'll never brood in the house again. I could live with the odor but I'm not putting up with (or breathing) that dust ever again.

I am curious as to why they are against it? I am new to this and like hearing different points of view.